Wrench.



PATENTED APR. 14, 1908.

a. w. MASON.

WRENCH.

APBLIGATION FILED DEC. 27, 1 906.

CTR

UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Application filed December 27, 1906. Serial No. 349,741.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. MAsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sharon, in the county of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and-to'the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved quick-acting wrench and itcomprises a bar fitted with a stationary head, a rack formed along aportion of the length of said bar, a moving head carrying means forlocking the same rigid with said bar, said head being formed in twoparts with intermediate adjusting device, and the invention furtherconsists in the certain details of construction and combination ofparts, as will be fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings;--Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved wrench, the same being constructed and arranged in accordancewith-my invention. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan View of the same, a partof which is shown in section, said section being taken on the line .2, zof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end sectional elevation on the line X, X ofFig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar View on the line y, y of the same figure.Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the right and left hand adjusting screws,showing the manner in which they are coupled together. Fig. 6 is an endelevation of the forward jaw of the moving head, showing the form of theopening therethrough.

To put my invention into practice and thereby provide a quick-actingWrench, 1

provide a bar 1, of suitable length and material, and at one endthereof, form a head or jaw 2, the same being fixed and at rightanglesto the bar 1. This bar is provided along a portion of its length with aratchet of integral projecting parts 3, and a portion of the endopposite to the head 2, formed into a handle. Operating along the lengthof the bar 1, is a moving head 5, comprising a solid iece of metal, withan opening 20 to fit neatly about the bar 1, and with a downwardextension to form the other jaw of the wrench. This moving head isformed with an integral rearwardly-extending piece 7, adapted to operatebetween one edge of the bar 1 and a supplemental moving part 8, at therear of the head 5, the two being adj ustably joined together by rightand left-hand threaded bolts, in such manner that the two may be movedtoward and away from each other. This connection of the right (10) andleft (12) screws is formed by providing the one part with anenlarged'annular boss 11, which when milled on the periphery answers thepurpose of a thumb-nut, the said enlargement being formed with a socketfor the reception of a tapering integral part of the other threaded bolt12, the atter bolt being provided with a collar 13. These two parts, astdescribed, are loosely connected the one with the other by a pin 15,passing through an opening 14 of larger diameter, which opening isformed through the tapering part above mentioned. By this constructionof the connection between the right and lefthand screws, the one willoperate with the other without binding when the two are not in directline. This right and left connection joins the moving head 5 with thesupplemental head 8, by entering threaded sockets 6 and 9, formedrespectively in said heads, thereby providing a quick-acting adjustmentto move the head 5, toward or away from the stationary jaw 2. To holdthese moving heads 5, 8, stationary or fixed to the bar 1, a transverseslot 15 is formed through the supplemental head 8, the said slot beinglocated immediately beneath the bar 1, and is adapted to receive a lockbar 14 which enters between the teeth 3 of the rack. This lock bar 14 isformed at one end with a T head and is fitted with a large headed screw16 at the other, which arrangement will prevent end movement of the'same. Arranged beneath this look bar 14, is a spiral spring 18, whichtends to keep said lock bar engaged with the ratchet 3, the said springbeing arranged in a recess and confined therein by a pin 18 and shortscrew 17, as will be best seen by reference to Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The operation of the above-described wrench is as follows. Theprojecting T head and the screw head 16, is taken between the thumb andforefinger and pressed downward to free the lock bar 14 from the ratchet3, and when in this position the moving heads 5 and 8, may be free tomove along the length of the bar 1 in either direction, and

when the two jaws of the wrench are a proximately sized to correspondwith t 1e nut operated upon, the lock bar is released to enter the adacent space of said ratchet. The thumb nut 11 is now operated to movethe jaw 5 in close relation with the nut operated upon. I

It will be noticed that, by forming the teeth of the rack 3, in suchmanner as to leave a space 21 between the edge of the bar and the endsof the teeth, a shoulder will be formed on either side, which willengage with corresponding shoulders 20, formed in the sliding heads,(see Fig. 6,) thereby removing a greater part of the strain from theteeth 3. This construction of shoulders will permit the sliding heads tomove freely along the length of the bar 1 without interfering or bindingon the teeth, the said heads having a clearance over the top and sides.

Another means of relieving the strain between the two moving heads andfrom the teeth of the rack is the rearwardlyextending portion 7, whichtransfers said strain from the jaw to the top of the supplemental head8.

Slight modifications and changes may be made in the details ofconstruction, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, a bar provided with a fixed jaw, a head movable onthe jaw, a supplemental head movable on the jaw, said first named headhaving an extension formed therewith passing between one side of the barand the inner wall of the sup lemental head, means for moving said hearstoward or away from each other, and means carried by the supplementalhead engaging the bar to hold the su plemental head against movement onthe 'ar.

2. In combination, a bar provided with a fixed jaw, a head movable onthe jaw, a supplemental head movable on the jaw, said first named headhaving an extension formed therewith passing between one side of the barand the inner wall of the supplemental head, means for moving said headstoward or away from each other, and means for holding the supplementalhead against movement on the bar.

3. In combination a bar provided with a fixed jaw, a head movable on thejaw, a supplemental head movable on the jaw, said first named headhaving an extension formed therewith passing between one side of the barand the inner wall of the supplemental head, screw means for moving saidheads toward or away from each other, and means for holding thesupplemental head against movement on the bar.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE W. MASON. WVitness'es J. H. ELLIOTT, C. A. BRENNAN.

